Back to Basics
by T. A. Griffy
Summary: After beating Daniel Bryan on Monday Night Raw, AJ's wrestling career has nowhere to go but up. Now a new opportunity has opened for her. Meanwhile, Kane has been floundering since that same match. Will he regain his prowess in the ring? Or will his emerging humanity prove to be his undoing? Contains scenes of pro wrestling violence and some non-sexual nudity.
1. Chapter 1

"I feel good, da nanananana!" I sang as I danced-walked from the stage to my locker room. The other wrestlers and the backstage crew looked at me like I was crazy. No, guys. Crazy Chick is gone. Banished. Nope, that was just the friendly neighborhood Geek Goddess being her true self.

"I knew that I would now, da nanananana!" Why shouldn't I feel good? After that match with CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Kane, industry observers started saying I single-handedly revived the Divas division of the WWE. Yup. Now we get _two_ on-air matches a night.

"I feel good, da nanananana!" Not that I minded the extra exposure. Especially now that it's for something other than being Daniel's simpering, abused girlfriend or being coo coo for Punk or Kane. I admit it. I was a stupid, crazy girl. I got too much press for that. Now I'm getting press for what I'm doing inside the ring. Which is how it should be.

"I knew that I would now, da nanananana!" _Pro Wrestling Illustrated_ is doing a cover story on me. For the cover photo, they have me wearing this Tarzan-print wrestling outfit (happy skull on the hip, of course). I have my foot on the chest of some hulking guy (Daniel wouldn't do it, of course) who's pretending to be knocked out while I flex my arms. That was fun. They even let me keep the wrestling suit. I might use it someday.

"So good, so good, I got you! Owwww!" Two weeks. Two matches. Two wins. I haven't wrestled this good since . . . well since before the WWE called me up to Smackdown. I decided after that fiasco with Daniel and Punk, it was time to get back to basics. I'm just a girl . . . woman . . . who's willing to work hard to make a name for herself in this business. And it's working; I'm at the top of my game. Moreover, I feel more alive than I have in months-like this was what I was born to do.

I stopped singing the song and began humming it as I went into the locker room. I don't really know the words to the rest of the song. Hey, James Brown was my _grandfather's_ time. You want the lyrics, ask him. Half-listening to the show still being broadcast, I grabbed a towel and headed for the shower. I was still soaping up when I heard the low rumble.

"You can't hide forever, butterfly!"

"Hey, Kane!" I said more brightly and sweetly than I actually felt. I would have been embarrassed, but Kane wasn't looking at me sexually. He doesn't look at anyone sexually. I might as well have been one of the guys in the shower after the big game. So I figured I'd just act the part. "I haven't been avoiding you. Really. I've just been pretty busy since that match. I promise I'll talk to you finished showering, okay?"

He stalked off, leaving me to think. I wasn't lying to Kane. I really was busy. But this was a conversation I would rather have put off a little longer. After Daniel broke up with me I heartbroken and confused. A few weeks ago, I managed to get my head back on straight, but I still had some loose strings to deal with. Like Kaitlyn. Like Kane.

Kane must have thought that I was messing around with him. And I guess I was. I really was surprised and intrigued when I looked into the eyes of a monster and saw his heart. And he was also obviously affected by me. Until that match with Daniel and Kane, I might have done something stupid and crazy with Kane. After the match, I just wanted to put that part of my life behind me. What did Kane want?

I finished my shower, dried off, and went back to the locker room. I hesitated. Kane was sitting on the bench near my locker. His back was ramrod straight with his hands resting on his knees. I had meant for him to wait outside the locker room. Just one of the guys, just one of the guys, I told myself. They've been letting female journalists into the men's locker room since before I was born. It was only a matter of time before they let the men into ours.

"I want to apologize for distracting you with Sheamus," I said as I began dressing.

"Not your fault," Kane answered.

"I gave Punk the chair that he used against you," I admitted.

"I know. I saw the tape," he said. Of course he did.

"I'm sorry. I was kind of crazy then," I said.

Kane grunted. Was that agreement, disagreement, or simple acknowledgment of a fact? I didn't know, and I wasn't going to ask.

"Why did you do that?" Kane asked.

So there it was. The question I had wanted to avoid. I didn't have to ask what he meant; I knew it was about that kiss I gave him during our match. I stood there holding my shirt while I pondered how to answer that question. I could tell the truth bluntly. Or I could tell the truth diplomatically. He was letting his heart peek through. If I said the wrong thing, would he snap it shut again? I wanted to avoid this question because that led to the real one: How did he feel about me?

I slipped my shirt on and sat down next to him. "I needed to distract you long enough for Punk to recover so we could win the match."

I took a deep breath. Kane processed what I said.

"So you're not? I mean—I'm a monster. I can't have girlfriends; I don't do relationships," Kane said.

"I don't want a boyfriend," I said, "I've had enough of boyfriends to last me a long time. I just want to focus on wrestling now."

"Good," he said. He actually relaxed. Just a little. Relieved, I began breathing more easily.

We sat silently, listening to the feed from the show. John Cena was finishing a second-tier talent named Trent Barreta. Trent is really not much of a wrestler. Michael Cole was being his normal asinine self.

"I'm a monster," Kane repeated.

I patted his forearm. "I know," I answered.

"Why do you affect me so much, then?" Kane asked.

"Because you know deep down that I'm right and you do have a heart," I replied.

He processed that for a moment. "I don't want it."

I smiled. I linked my arm around his and rested my head on his bicep. He stiffened again at first, but then relaxed. "Tough," I said, "You've got one and now you just have to deal with it."

Suddenly Cole became serious. "I've just been informed that the Bella twins were involved in a serious car accident. No details are available right now, but we will keep you informed."

* * *

The Bella twins are the WWE Divas champion. Yes, you read that right. See, the Bellas are identical twins, and part of their gimmick is wearing identical clothing to the ring. Sometimes, they'll switch mid-match. They did it to me in NXT season three. I never understood why the powers that be never put a stop to it. Anyway, get in the ring with a Bella twin and you never know which one you are really wrestling.

The next day, it became clear that neither twin would be able to return to the ring for a long time, if ever. If it were just Brie (the nominal champion), the powers that be could have had Nikki be Brie and pretended everything was normal. Well, that's what the industry observers said. But with both twins gone, it was a real problem the WWE had to deal with. After it became clear the twins would not be able to defend their championship anytime soon, the WWE vacated the title and declared there would be a tournament to decide the new Divas champion.

When the WWE announced the initial seeding of the tournament, everyone started talking about how they were trying to reignite the "Competitor vs. Princess" debate. It certainly looked like it. Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly. Alicia Fox vs. Layla. Natalya vs. Kaitlyn. Me vs. Tamina Snuka. To make things more interesting, they were having three newcomers and the returning Eve Torres engage in a wildcard tournament; the wildcard would face the main tournament winner to decide the championship. And get this, the wildcard tournament was only three rounds, which means the wildcard would face the main tournament winner after two weeks off, instead of just one.

They were saying the smart money was on Beth to take it all. I can see why. The Glamazon is a really tough competitor. I wouldn't face her until the last round, if I made it that far. It wasn't a match I was looking forward to. I've never won against her, either in singles or tag team competition.

They were also calling me the favored underdog. That was partly based on how well I'd been performing, but mainly because I beat Daniel Bryan. Daniel objected vociferously, saying I'd taken him by surprise. Objectively speaking, that was true. But the more Daniel complained, the more it seemed like he was just whining. It's kind of funny, if you think about it. My star rose with his, even if it was for the wrong reason. But without me, Daniel's star is fading quickly.

Not too many people paid attention to the wildcard tournament—which was a mistake. The conventional thought was that Eve has too much ring rust and the others were too new to have much impact on the overall tournament. They're right when it comes to Aksana, but it is another story when it comes to Maxine and Naomi Night.

I wasn't happy when I learned Maxine was in the tournament. Maxine has always been a bitch. If you've seen her on NXT, you know what I mean. Then they made her General Manager of the FCW, and she became a real super-bitch. If that's what happens when someone is made a general manager, I hope nobody makes me one. She wound up costing me my FCW Divas Championship. Later on, she interfered in my relationship with Hornswaggle. I still haven't fully paid her back yet.

The good news is that they are _finally_ putting Naomi Night in the ring. If you've seen her on NXT, then you know what I've known since we were in the FCW together: Naomi is a great wrestler. Back in the FCW, we had our differences. When I was Queen, and then later Divas Champion, I became a real bitch myself (Shh! Don't tell anyone!) and feuded with her for a year. We settled our differences, but I still consider her one of my toughest opponents. If anyone can pull an upset victory for the championship, it's Naomi.

One thing was sure. The next several weeks were going to be very interesting.

**Note: I'm a bit happier with the chapter now. I still don't think that it is perfect, but as long as it is absolutely clear this is a tale of friendship and not romance, I'm happy. I'd still love to hear your comments and suggestions. **

**Although I didn't have the space to say so in the story summary, "Back to Basics" continues a story cycle that began with "AJ Does Something Crazy" and continued in "Warning: Pixie Fairies Can Be Dangerous to Your Health." If there is anything here that doesn't quite make sense, you should go back and read those stories first.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Slap. Slap. Slap. Ding-ding-ding! "Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner, Heath Slater!"

I laid there in the middle of the ring. Physically, I wasn't that badly hurt. But I had just been beaten by Heath Slater. Heath Slater! Last week it was Dolph Ziggler. The week before that was Brodus Clay. What's next, Trent Barreta? I would have to quit wrestling after that kind of disgrace!

I am not normally bothered when someone defeats me. Hell knows I've been defeated before. It comes with the territory of being a wrestler. All it takes is an off day. A tough competitor. A truly spectacular performance by an opponent. Or a distraction.

Ever since that pixie fairy bravely stood up and made me flee the ring, I have not been the same. Days later, she made me flee again with a kiss. And then I watched a butterfly emerge and skip past me. She is now a contender for the Divas championship. She has gotten it together. Why can't I?

"Kane's still not getting up," Jerry Lawler announced, "Do you think he's seriously hurt, Michael?"

"Of course he is," Michael Cole answered, "A bee stung him a few weeks ago and he still hasn't recovered." Keep it up, Cole. You're forgetting that I am a monster.

Then the speakers blared out:

_Let's light it up!_

_Light it up, light it up_

_Light it tonight!_

Her theme. I closed my eyes. I did not want to see her.

"Speaking of bees . . ." Cole said.

I heard her fingernails scrape the mask I wear. I felt the soft shifting of my scalp. She was brushing away the hair on my face! As if I were a little baby who needed comfort. I opened my eyes and looked at her. The little butterfly was kneeling next to me. She was wearing her blue plaid wrestling gear; she still had a match tonight. The pixie fairy's eyes were full of concern. She was worried about me!

"Go away, butterfly," I said.

"No," she answered.

I am a monster. Be afraid of me, I thought. I slowly got to my feet. She arose, too. She still had concern etched on her pixie face. I would teach her. I would teach her that I was a monster and that butterflies have no business flitting around monsters. I grabbed her neck underneath her throat and pushed her to the ropes facing the announcer's table. I raised my fist.

"Oh my God, he's attacking her!" Cole shouted.

"Somebody needs to get out here!" Lawler yelled.

"Here comes Randy Orton and Trent Barreta!" Cole announced.

"What is AJ doing?" Lawler asked incredulously.

"She signaling them to back off! She nuts! She's gone completely off her rocker!" Cole exclaimed.

I felt the movement but I didn't really see it because I still had my eyes locked on hers. Be afraid now, damn you. I could have shifted my right hand up to her throat and chokeslammed her down to the concrete floor. I could have brought my left fist down and crushed that tiny skull like an egg. Be afraid now. I am a monster.

"Do you really think that will help you?" she asked.

I released her and let my arm drop. Would it make her afraid of me if I did that? I honestly did not know. And I was afraid that it would still not make her afraid of me. I turned around and walked away. Orton and Barreta moved to let me through.

"Well, Orton and Barreta have the sense to get out of Kane's way," Lawler observed.

"Even if AJ has turned him into a kitten," Cole rejoined.

Keep it up, Cole. Keep it up.

I am a monster.

* * *

The WWE arranges a space for me in the basement of the arenas we visit. It is cold, and the lights are dim. Machinery hums in the background. It feels like the room I had growing up. I am comfortable here.

This is where I have retreated. I had brought a small table and placed a couple of fifty pound dumbbells on it. I usually find that some final-minute conditioning before a match is helpful and relaxing. It didn't help tonight. It hasn't helped for a month.

There is also a speaker here that pipes the ring announcing down. The WWE puts them everywhere. That is how wrestlers know what is happening in the ring. It is why we will rush to ringside if something is happening we don't like. The pixie fairy knew something was wrong with me because of the feed.

I needed to get my mind off my trouble so I listened to the announcing. Unfortunately, it was the butterfly's match, so it didn't help. The waif scraped a victory, but it was by the skin of her teeth. Then the coward Daniel Bryan went out and confronted her. She handled herself well. The crowd was chanting her name. Good for her.

I screamed. Good for her? What was I thinking? I am a monster! I take pleasure in eviscerating people, not in the victories of tiny waifs! I punched a wall. My fist went through it, leaving a football-sized hole behind. Still agitated, I began walking circles in the area, muttering, cursing myself for my weakness.

A shadow fell into my space. I did not need to look. No one else would dare. "Go away, butterfly," I growled.

"No," she answered softly.

I looked at her now. I screwed up all the fury I felt for myself and tried directing it at her. "Leave!" I shouted.

"No."

"You're supposed to be afraid of me!" I yelled.

"Why?" she asked softly. It was almost a whisper.

"Because I am a monster!" I screamed. I picked up a dumbbell and threw it. It hit the speaker, shattering it, and put another hole in the wall. I took a couple of steps back, and felt the wall behind me. I let myself slide down to the floor. The waif came over, sat near me, and placed a tiny hand on my clenched fist.

I am a monster, damn it!


	3. Chapter 3

Okay. That was scary. I was afraid Kane might take out his frustration on Randy and Trent. I don't know what I would have done then. Poor Trent would have really gotten hurt. But Kane left the ring and walked away. I decided I would go check on him after my match.

"Are you crazy, AJ?" Randy asked.

"Asks a man who's guided by voices in his head," I quipped, then immediately regretted it. "Sorry."

Randy shrugged it off. Trent asked, "Seriously, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I know it _does_ sound crazy, but I know Kane won't hurt me," I answered.

"Coming from a guy who listens to voices in his head, you're right. It does sound crazy," Randy said with a smirk.

"We should head back," Trent said.

"You go," I said, "My match is going to begin and there isn't enough time to get my handheld anyway."

Sure enough, after they had climbed out of the ring, the ring announcer announced my presence in the ring. The crowd started cheering and chanting either "Yes! Yes! Yes!" or "AJ! AJ! AJ!" I made my way around the corners, climbing the second rope, raising my fist. Big smile to hide the nervousness I actually felt. Tamina Snucka's theme started and the announcer introduced her.

You would think that after a confrontation with the Big Red Monster, facing Tamina would be a cinch. You would be wrong. Wrestling is about either wearing out an opponent until you either pin them or make them submit from pain or unconsciousness. Kane _won't_ hurt me, but at that moment, hurting me was Tamina's _job._

And she is quite capable of doing it. Watching her recent tapes, I was disappointed to see Tamina had lost her early cockiness. It was her cockiness that, more than anything else, that allowed me to beat her every time I faced her in a singles match. Luckily, she was still all power and no finesse. That's my advantage, so long as I avoided getting hit too hard. The bell rang. Down to business.

We circled each other, then went in for the initial grapple. I slipped out of the grapple, grabbed Tamina's arm and twisted. Applying a wrist lock, I stomped the mat. Tamina grunted, grabbed my hair and slammed me to the mat. She hit me with two rapid knee drops and then elbow drop. Tamina is fast for someone so big. She went for a cover, but I kicked out in one. She may not be so cocky anymore, but she was still underestimating me.

Tamina was on her feet first. She finished picking me up and whipped me to the ropes. I tried to counter by launching myself into a crossbody block, but she just caught me. She rolled me over her head, preparing for a Samoan drop. I wasn't about to let that happen. I wrapped my legs around one arm, and linked my arms around the other. When we did drop, I rolled her into a crucifix pin. She powered her way out of it in two, but I had made my point. I had just taken away one of her most powerful moves. We rolled away from each other. Tamina looked slightly stunned. I smiled brightly, did a couple perky bounces, and gave her a nice try gesture. Her look changed into one of fury. That's right Tamina, I thought, get mad. Make a mistake.

Unfortunately, she did not make one then and there. We grappled again. This time she slipped out and delivered a series of forearm smashes. Tamina whipped me to the ropes. I bounced back and her savate kick under the chin. That slammed me to the mat. Tamina picked me up again. Before I could do anything she smashed me with a headbutt. I saw stars and staggered away. The next thing I knew, she had grabbed me from behind. I reacted purely on instinct. Wrapping my legs around Tamina's waist, I swung and brought us both down in a wheelbarrow bulldog.

Amazingly, she rolled away before I could cover her. I was near the ropes, so bounced off them and ran at Tamina. With a yell, I jumped and twisted as she got to her knees. My right knee smashed into her temple and she went down. The force of my maneuver brought me around facing Tamina, so I went for the pin. The ref was slow, so I only got a two count. I'm not very surprised; Tamina is one of the few people who can consistently kick out after my shining wizard. I just hoped her head was hurting as much as mine.

I picked Tamina up and placed her in a side headlock. She countered with an elbow to my gut, then grabbed my head and hit me with a neckbreaker. That move was either desperation or it took something out of her too. Neither one of us was getting up; I could hear the ref counting us out. I rolled over and tried to will myself up. Tamina got there first. She grabbed me by the back of the head and slammed me back to the mat with a chop to my back.

Tamina picked me up and whipped me to the corner. I got turned around and took the impact on my back. The turnbuckles are padded, but they can still hurt. I saw her running at me and managed to get my feet up in time. She slammed back to the mat, but I was hurting too much to take advantage. I slid down to the apron, trying to catch a second wind.

Again, Tamina was recovering first. I started using the ropes to drag myself back up. Tamina got there first. She grabbed me from behind the head and turned me around to slam me into the turnbuckle. In sheer desperation I ran up the turnbuckles, launching up and over when I hit the second. We both came down in what had to be the sloppiest shiranui ever.

I quickly grabbed Tamina's leg and rolled on to her for the cover. Please be enough, please be enough, I thought. The ref slapped the mat three times and the bell rang. Thank goodness. I quickly rolled off Tamina and stood up. The ref raised my arm.

My head was pounding. I wanted nothing more than to go backstage and pop a couple of aspirins. I still also needed to go see Kane. But the fans were chanting my name; they would expect a victory celebration. I went to a far corner, climbed the second rope and raised my hands. Bright smile, don't let them know how badly you're aching. I was on the second corner when the speaker began blaring Daniel Bryan's Wagnarian-metal theme. I squeezed my eyes shut momentarily and groaned, "Oh, no."

The ring announcer was already shoving a mike up at me. It's part of their job to make sure everyone has a mike when verbal sparring is about to ensue. Don't look at me. In pro wrestling, showmanship is half of the game. I got down, took the mike, and turned around to face my ex-boyfriend. He was "helping" Tamina out of the ring by shoving her with his foot. She gave him a cross look, but headed for the backstage. At least she would be able get some aspirin.

Daniel was once a nice guy, a real sweetheart. I would not have gone out with him otherwise. Even though he is a brilliant technical wrestler, he, like me, was always viewed as a perennial underdog. So we had that in common. Then he won the World Heavyweight Championship, and he changed. It went to his head (and I know all too well how that can happen). He became increasingly abusive toward me and increasingly arrogant toward everyone else. Then he lost the championship, blamed me for it, and broke up with me. Publicly. In front of a television audience. For awhile there, my world fell apart.

"Go ahead and celebrate, AJ," Daniel said. The crowd shouted "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Yes, AJ, enjoy victories over inferior wrestlers," Daniel continued, "Knowing you can't beat a real wrestler without catching them by surprise." The crowd booed him.

"It doesn't really mean much, you know. But I suppose every little bit counts, right?" The crowd booed again.

I considered the bitter and ugly man in front of me. Was the sweetheart I once knew in there somewhere? If he was, he was trapped beneath too much anger and bitterness. If I had seen even a spark, I might have done things differently. As it was, I needed some aspirin. And then there was Kane. He, at least, could be helped. I just wanted to get Daniel out of my hair and get out of there.

I smiled sweetly at him, then said, "Oh, Daniel. Still making excuses? Did you get out wrestled by a girl? Did I catch you by surprise? Hurt your little feelings?"

I sashayed over to him. I don't think I do the "seductive walk" very well. It must have worked, though. Someone in the audience wolf whistled, anyway. And Daniel's eyes were no longer focused on my face. I cocked my head as if considering something. Then I put on my sexy smile.

"I tell you what, honey," I said in my best sexy voice (which I don't think I do well, either), "If you finally ever win the WWE Championship from CM Punk, I'll make it all up to you . . ."

I walked my fingers up his chest. Then I pushed up his chin to lock his eyes back on to mine.

". . . by being your first title defense!" The crowd roared at that. "Meanwhile, dude, stay the hell out of my way!"

The crowd started chanting my name again. I used the cover to get out of there. Backstage, I ran right into Matt Striker. He shoved a mike in my face while asking, "What is going on between you and Kane now?"

How is it that man always winds up asking the wrong question?

"Um . . . ah . . . nothing really. Er . . . I'm not . . . uh . . . I'm not comfortable enough to answer that question," I stammered.

"So what next?" Matt asked.

"Flexibility exercises," I answered while walking away. Forgetting that my head was already hurting, I slapped my forehead, then groaned in pain. Sure, it left Matt confused enough for me to get away, but I hope I didn't telegraph too much. I needed some aspirin. And then I had to see a monster about a man.

**Note: I'm posting this chapter before it is truly complete. I was mostly concerned here with getting the wrestling match where I wanted it. I still need to insert some commentary from Jerry Lawler and some snarkiness by Michael Cole (suggestions welcome, of course). The next chapter is projected to be extremely short (500-750) words. After that, I plan to do some revisions to the previous chapters to account for some changes in my plot before moving forward again.**


	4. Chapter 4

**WRESTLING ONLINE TODAY**

**AJ'S BUSY NIGHT**

by Thomas Garrison

July 3, 2012

Last night, the WWE Divas Championship tournament began. Fans looking for surprises got one. Just not the one they expected.

The night began predictably enough, with Beth Phoenix and Natalya advancing to the second round. In light of Kane's recent performance, his loss to Heath Slater was also not that surprising. Even Kane recognized this. He seemed too embarrassed to move. That is, until AJ Lee came out. Fans will remember that last month, AJ was stalking Kane, going so far as passionately kissing him during her match on June 11, 2012.

The surprise came when Kane appeared to attack AJ. Other wrestlers came to her rescue. However, AJ actually waved them off, leaving fans to wonder if the Crazy Chick had returned. Fortunately, Kane left the ring without harming anyone. Clearly rattled by the confrontation, she wound up getting pounded by Tamina Snucka. AJ only eked out a victory when she luckily connected with a sliced bread #2.

After the match, AJ's ex-boyfriend Daniel Bryan confronted her. Bryan has told anyone who will listen that AJ was only able to beat him in their match because she caught him by surprise. She listened to his complaints, then told him she would be his first title defense—should Bryan ever win the WWE Championship belt. The arena audience ate it up initially, but now we have to wonder if that was more of the Crazy Chick talking.

Finally, to cap it all off, this reporter has learned from an arena official who wishes to remain anonymous that AJ was last seen in the company of Kane again. "I just want to get back to basics," AJ said in a cover story for _Pro Wrestling Illustrated_ due out this week. One has to wonder: Is that Geek Goddess basics, or Crazy Chick basics?

Last nights results:

Beth Phoenix def. Kelly Kelly

Layla def. Alicia Fox

Natalya def. Kaitlyn

Heath Slater def. Kane

AJ def. Tamina Snuka

Naomi def. Aksana

Maxine def. Eve Torres

Randy Orton def. Trent Barreta

**For such a short chapter, this really should have been out sooner. Unfortunately, life intervened. The next chapter is going to take even longer than I expected. I still plan some revisions to the earlier chapters. But the next chapter also hit an unexpected snag while I was watching Natalya's tapes. I suddenly realized that my plan to have AJ counter the Sharpshooter is physically impossible. So I'm back to the drawing board on that one. As soon as I get that figured out, I'll get the next chapter out.**


End file.
